Within the film industry white male directors employ abusive tactics and create hostile work environments in the name of genius and so-called authenticity. TW/CW: mentions of rape and abuse. You know one of the quotes I hate the most? “No pain, no gain.” There are several reasons I absolutely loathe this quote that masquerades as...
Tag: Hollywood
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Lena Waithe Is Proof That Representation By Itself Is Not Radical
Lena Waithe can claim all she wants that she gives a real fuck about Blackness and Black people, but her actions and her work continue to reflect otherwise. Two years ago, when I was still a columnist for Into (RIP), I wrote about how Lena Waithe’s increased visibility in Hollywood and her Vanity Fair cover...
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Misinformation Campaign #JusticeForJohnnyDepp Proves We Still Don’t Believe Survivors
The swift reaction to coddle Johnny Depp and condemn Amber Heard is indicative of the resistance survivors still face when coming forward about abuse. Content note: This story discusses domestic violence and situational partner violence. Last weekend, #JusticeForJohnnyDepp was trending on Twitter in the United States. Depp stans were foaming at the mouth over leaked...
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10 Female Directors To Hype Up (Who Aren’t Greta Gerwig)
It would behoove us to learn more about these ten women directors who could use some of the hype Greta Gerwig is currently getting. Award season…can be a real trip. Most of it is spent watching a bunch of rich Hollywood types take laps for work that ideally deserves the acclaim. The other half of...
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Black Hollywood Has a Black Patriarchy Problem
There’s no point to Black Hollywood if it’s gonna replicate the same structural oppressions that already exist in the entertainment industry at-large. The nominations for the 77th Golden Globes awards ceremony came out in December. And even more recently, nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards ceremony came out, roughly a week ago. And predictably, they...
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45 Black Actresses to Watch Who Fail the Paper Bag Test
Here is a list of dark-skinned Black actresses who we should be watching and who most definitely fail Hollywood’s racist paper bag test. About two years ago (roughly), my dear colleague and esteemed film critic Rebecca Theodore-Vachon posed an innocuous and presumably easy-to-answer question: Can anyone name three darker-skinned A-List Black actresses under the age...
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In the Fight to Diversify Hollywood, We Need to Stop Ignoring Assistants
The entertainment industry thrives on unpaid and underpaid workers using the law of supply and demand to justify unfair compensation. By Adriana Gomez-Weston David Rensin’s “The Mailroom: Hollywood History From the Bottom Up” is considered the Bible of entry-level Hollywood, its message is peddled as the gospel for anyone who wants to break into the...
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KNOW HER NAME: Cheryl L. Bedford is Changing Hollywood for Women of Color
“We are the only ones who elevate everyone.” Opportunities for women of color in film and entertainment are severely limited. The status quo for Black women in Hollywood reflects their realities across industries and throughout society. Cheryl L. Bedford, a producer and the Executive Director and Founder of Women of Color Unite and the JTC...
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Why It’s Important That We Hold Asia Argento Accountable
Argento shows us that people are capable of being abusive and abused, and her accuser, Jimmy Bennett, also deserves justice. TW: This essay contains mention and descriptions of statutory r/pe In a report published on Sunday, the New York Times reveals that actress Asia Argento made payments totalling $380,000 to actor Jimmy Bennett after allegedly...
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Supporting Garbage People Like Johnny Depp Makes You A Misogynist
As long as our culture refuses to hold the Depps of the world accountable, there will always be women like Heard who will be tasked with watching their abusers prosper. [TW/CW: discussion of domestic violence, rape culture and mentions of sexual assault.] New York Magazine’s July 27th, 2015 cover is still as harrowing as it...